Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-08

CHILL, gray autumn WedUueT. Cduob Hdu
been more than twelve months In her
grave, when one morning the Indian mail
brought letter, which, If 1t did not
distress Mrs. Saunders, startled and dis
composed her very much. Her son-in-
law was coming home-Janet's husband,
whom she had never loved and with whom
she had always been upon terms of the
most painful constraint. She did not
show that letter TO Miss Marsden. al
though she could hear her singing softly
in the nursery above merry song of the
old times for Master Toms benefit, she
managed to get through it herself with
her weary old eyes, and then she went
away to her own room, and there slowly
and painfully, wrote dutiful letter in
return, asking him to come and stay with
her when he reached Edinburgh. This
invitation he did not accept, to the poor
old lady's great relief; but he came to see
her and his boy as soon as he arrived.
II knew he would not fail to do so, my
DEAR" she said to Miss Marsden on the
evening after the dreaded visit; and as
she spoke she put up her wrinkled old
hand and wiped away the tears that rolled
down her furrowed cheeks. "He always
does what is right ;he is trustworthy man
but not lovable-oh, not at all-not the
least like the man I fancied my Janet
would have chosenr'
Then there followed a futter of exul
tation and pride. The Indian merchant
was clever as well as a prosperous
man, he was an authority upon most
things that came under his notice, and
he was to give lecture on something or
other connected with India, which she did
not quite understand. Would Miss Mars
den go with her? Miss Marsden hesitat-
ed @ few moments; she was very busy,
and, as she was not in the least curious or
excited about Mr.. Smith, she was more
than half inclined to say so, when the
pleading look in the old ladY's eyes, fixed
SO eagerly upon her, conquered her reso~
luton.
II will CO." she said, feeling that it
was duty she owed to her dear old
friend.
On their way to the hall where the lee
ture was to be delivered she thought
neither of Mr.. Smith nor of Janet. lay
ing far away in her quiet grave, nor of
Janet's mother by her side, nor of Janet's
little son, whom she had left quarter of
an hour before in the rosy sleep of
healthy, happy childhood. Although as a
rule she thought but little of her own af-
was full of thoughts of her own work
and her last subject, lady who was
neither young nor fair, and the express
sion of whose wiShered features she had
some difficulty in catching.
While they were sitting in the hall wait
ing for the appearance of the lecturer
she was thinking of this, and wondering
! fretfuIly if her skill fulness of hand and
correctness of eye were leaving her
thinking not at all of what was going on
around her-when Mrs. Saunders touched
her arm and whispered:
"There he is!'
With a startled air, as if she had been
suddenly aroused from sleep, she turnd,
and with careless, Indifferent eyes looked
toward the platform. Then suddenly, at
the sight OF the lecturer, with a wild,
shril cry she sprang to her feet. She
tried to speak, but her voice failed her;
only hoarse, guttura! cry came from her
pale lips, and with a gesture of despair
she threw up her arms wildly and then
| fell down Ia a swoOn.
She was removed Immediately; but it
was more than an hour before she could
be taken home, and then it was not her
own house, but to Mrs. Saunders that
they took her, and laid her on the couch
III Vic pIeGbJ uIdWlbS IOoiL, WHilO hIS.
Saunders, having done all that was neces-
sary for her comfort, sat down beside her,
wiping her old eyes from time to time,
fer she was very much agitated and
strangely exercised in her mind. She kept
saying to herself almost necessarily in an
undertOne:
He is trustworthy man if he is any
thing. Oh, yes, surely he is a trustworthy
man, and my Janet is past trouble and at
| rest"
From time to time she looked wistfuI-
ly down at the gentle face which had be-
come so dear to her, but it was as it had
| ever been, like q closed book; she could
only see that it was strangely changed
vivid emotion had transformed it, as if
by a miracle. The passionless calm which
had been it's distinguishing characteris-
tic was gone, the sweet, sad eyes were
cleaning with wild strange light, and IN
| the pale cheeks there was feverish flush
of color that changed at every sound,
while every passing footstep on the pave
ment outside made Helen tremble.
Oh, how long those two hours seemed
in which he did not come, and, oh, how
strange it all was to Mrs. Saunders when
he did come at last! He was not the
stately, proud, cold man he had always
appeared to her, but eager, excited, bend
ing forward, as if he would rush head
| long into the room. He did not notice
her at all; she was only of a secondary
importance-sh belonged to Janet and
his marriage of convenience, not to the
passionate past, the memories of whieh
were overmastering him now. So the old
lady thought; and a momentary pang of
jealousy pierced her heart. He had eyes
only for the pale, lovely figure on the
sofa; it was to her he went, and throwing
himself down upon his knees beside her,
he clasped his hand in both his own.
''Helen, Helenr he cried in a voice
shrill with excitement and hope.
He thought only of her, saw only her;
but she had caught a glimpse of poor
Mrs. Saunders perplexed face, and
springing up from the sofa, grasped her
hands.
"We loved each other in youth, 'she said
breathlessly; we were one in heart and